Archive for the ‘Marrakech Tours’ Category

If you prefer to avoid crowds and sweltering heat, you should seriously consider visiting Marrakech in January. Temperatures are mild enough to be pleasant (4 – 18 degrees), there is plenty of sunshine (averaging 7 hours per day) and there is as much to see and do as at other times of year.

Visiting Marrakech in January – Events and Festivals

One of the main events to take in while visiting the Ochre City in January is the International Marathon of Marrakech. Scheduled to take place on the 28th of the month, this prestigious marathon is expected to attract over 8,000 runners including many of the world’s biggest marathon stars. The opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest athletes compete on a beautiful course taking in the most attractive of the city’s many avenues and boulevards lined with palm, orange and olive trees, is too good to miss.

Another major international event is the United Cultures Trade Show. Involving 92 nations and 644 designers, this one-week event, outlining among other things United Cultures’ plans for the next five years, is designed to encourage nations to form economic partnerships.

Visiting Marrakech in January – Things to Do

Marrakech has an array of wonderful museums and January is the perfect time to visit them in ideal conditions. One of these is the little-known, yet highly respected Musée Boucharouite. Beautifully located within an 18th Century riad, this quaint museum was created by Patrick de Maillard, an avid collector of popular Moroccan art. The gallery features an array of Berber boucharouites (rugs crafted from recycled cloth), agricultural implements, painted doors and more – and visitors can also enjoy refreshments on the roof terrace.

Where to Stay

Offering all the comforts you’d expect from a luxurious boutique hotel (including spa facilities, a pool and much more), Les Borjs de la Kasbah is a peaceful characterful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, yet close enough to the action to enjoy everything Marrakech has to offer. Book your stay here.

Despite a marked decline compared with September, average daily temperatures in Marrakech during October are very pleasant, ranging between 14° and 28°, a welcome contrast with the oppressive heat of summer. With monthly rainfall increasing only slightly to some 23 mm and sunshine hours of around nine hours per day, October is one of the best months for visiting the ‘Pink City’. And, of course, there is plenty to see and do in terms of events and festivals if you’ll be visiting Marrakech and the western region of Morocco in October 2017.

Visiting Marrakech in October – Events and Festivals

Starting on 11th October, the Trophée Rose des Sables, is a high octane, women-only motor race involving 4x4s, SSVs, ATVs and motorcycles. The event runs until October 22nd.

Starting on the 17th and ending on the 22nd of October 2017, the El Jadida Horse Show is a 7-day spectacle in and around the west coast town designed to highlight Morocco’s equestrian tradition. The event is expected to attract over 100 exhibitors from 35 countries.

For music lovers, the Festival Andalous in Essaouira, also on the Atlantic, is a must. Scheduled to take place from the 26th to the 28th of October 2017, this international festival consists of a series of dynamic international events comprising the ‘Musical Spring of Alizés’ and ‘Gnaoua & Musiques du Monde’ concerts.

From 26th to 29th October there is the colourful, long established Erfoud Date Festival beyond the Atlas, on the northern edge of the Sahara (learn more).

October also sees a variety of trade shows and conferences (learn more), including TEDx Marrakech. Taking place on the 21st October 2017, on the theme of “Tribes and Trolls”, the event is focused on the digital world and its influence on our lives in the 21st Century.

Visiting Marrakech in October – Things to Do

October is a good time to enjoy a little ‘shopping therapy’. A good place to visit is 33 Rue Majorelle, a store comprising a large number of boutiques and shops, perfect for souvenir hunting.

For families at half term, the extensive pools, water rides and affordable restaurants of the Oasiria Water Park offers a fun day out – and welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Les Borjs de la Kasbah

Looking for somewhere to stay while visiting Marrakech in October? Look no further – Les Borjs de la Kasbah, highly rated on review sites, offers peace, tranquility and every comfort within close proximity of some of the city’s finest attractions, not least the Tombeaux Saadiens on the edge of the Kasbah.

Regular visitors to Marrakech looking for something new to admire would be well advised to pay a visit to one of the city’s latest attractions in the shape of the ‘Musée Mohammed VI pour la Civilisation de l’Eau au Maroc’.

A major new attraction

Founded by Morocco’s Ministry of Habous & Islamic Affairs, the body responsible, among other things, for environmental issues and ecologically sustainable development, this new museum in Marrakech is not only one of the largest cultural projects ever launched in Morocco but the biggest such attraction on the African continent dedicated solely to water management.

Opened on 2nd May 2017, the ‘Musée Mohammed VI’ pays tribute to Morocco’s achievements in water management in recent years. Set within the leafy environment of the Palmeraie district of Marrakech, the attraction is one of the new generation of museums designed to be both entertaining and educational, historical as well as scientific.

Scorching hot and dusty, August in Marrakech is for sun lovers. Average temperatures range between 20 and 38 degrees and there is little, if any, rain. Thus, locating a place to stay with a proper swimming pool (many riads have little more than ornamental or ‘plunge’ pools) becomes an essential requirement.

Tempting as it is to stay put in these conditions, enjoying the comforts and facilities of one’s hotel, venturing out to explore the ‘ochre city’ and its attractions is well worth the effort as there’s plenty to see and do.

Marrakech August 2017 Events

Oued Ed-Dahab Day – The 14th August is a national holiday commemorating the day on which the southern province of Oued Ed-Dahab was recovered from Mauritania.

May in Marrakech is a lovely month, akin to high summer in Europe. With idyllic average temperatures ranging between 12 and 28 degrees, some 10 hours of daily sunshine and less than 24mm rainfall, the climate is clement enough to relax by a pool while not too hot, or tiring, to enjoy a walking tour of the city. In addition to sightseeing, there is an interesting calendar of events with something to suit everyone.

May 2017 Events

Festivities start with Kelaa-des-Mgouna, the Rose Festival, which takes place in early May in the fertile Dades Valley, south of the Atlas, an event guaranteed to tempt visitors with traditional food, music and dancing, a dedicated market and, not least, a ‘Rose Queen’ competition. There is also a street procession of decorated floats during this first weekend of the month.

International celebrities, local artists and street performers gather to entertain visitors with a variety of concerts at the Desert Music Festival in mid-May, although the exact date has yet to be confirmed at time of writing. The long established and excellent World Sacred Music Festival in Fez and the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, featuring local and top class international artists, are scheduled to run from 12th to 20th May.

1. Jemaa el Fna – the focal point of Marrakech and Africa’s largest square, this UNESCO world heritage site is the vibrant heart of the city attracting street entertainers, hawkers and snake charmers, apothecaries, jugglers, musicians and orange sellers. There’s always something going on here, every day, but the place really comes alive at night when much of the square is transformed into a huge al fresco diner.

2. Souks – Marrakech is renowned for its souks and in the narrow alleyways of this extensive covered market you’ll find everything from herbs and spices to hand-carved wooden ornaments, from traditional Berber clothing to soaps and medicines, beautifully crafted traditional leather goods and jewellery. Each trade has its own area within the market, metalworking, weaving and fabrics, leather goods, carpets, jewellery and woodwork as well, of course, as open spaces selling fresh fruit and vegetables. Even if you’re not planning to buy you’ll find that exploring the souks is an unforgettable and tempting experience.

Considered one of North Africa’s most beautiful spectacles, the Ouzoud Falls, near the High Atlas village of Tanaghmeilt, consist of a series of sharp drops (the highest being 110m) down the rocky faults of the El Abid river in its dramatic, red rock gorge culminating in a final impressive cascade into a sparkling mountain pool.

The summit of the falls is dotted with olive groves and ancient water mills, some still used for extracting oil from olives and other crops. (Ouzoud is the Berber word for the process of grinding grain). Some of the climbs around the gorge are quite arduous but one can swim in the pool beneath the falls, explore cave networks and even take a scenic trip on a river boat.

Flora of Ouzoud Falls

The area’s flora is predominantly made up of mossy plants and varieties of trees including olive, lime, oak and pomegranate. The lushness and greenery stands out in full bloom during the Spring and Summer months when visitors can capture some great photographs.